[Bioperl-l] BioPerl CPAN

[Nathan (Nat) Goodman]

Hi Folks

I had a very positive response from Jarkko Hietaniemi, the CPAN master
librarian, about the idea of setting up a BioPerl repository within CPAN.

I floated two ideas past Jarkko. One was to set up a separate category in
the CPAN module list and then for us to use CPAN "as is".  The other was to
use the CPAN/PAUSE software to create our own CPAN-like system that we would
administer on our own.

Jarkko encouraged the first option, saying, "Setting up a new ‘BioPerl’
category is definitely not a problem.  I think we could enable one of you
bioperl guys to act as a ‘CPAN admin’ meaning that you can accept new users
and new modules."

I think this is the best option, also.

Perhaps the next step would be to propose a short list of modules for an
initial test of the concept and to use the experience to derive principles
along which to populate the repository. Heikki also suggested we use the
opportunity to try out Module::Build instead of ExtUtils::MakeMaker.

I am happy to “volunteer” the Biblio modules I’ve been working on as one
test case for both the CPAN idea and Module::Build.  It would be good to get
a couple of other examples, including at least one module that’s already in
the standard release to see how painful it will be to excise code from the
main body.

Do people agree?  Who else wants to work on this?

Best,
Nat